In the simplest of terms, microplastics are synthetic particles of less than five millimeters in size. They are everywhere, making them a big threat to the environment. Beyond this they also find their way into many living organisms, including humans. Microplastics enter our bodies through the consumption of food or drinking beverages. The presence of microplastics can lead to harmful effects, both directly and indirectly due to them.

But what makes something a microplastic? How do they come about? And just how prevalent are they? The problem of microplastics start with the problem of pollution.